


New Beginnings

by AWritingRaven



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-02
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-12 12:24:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13547280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AWritingRaven/pseuds/AWritingRaven
Summary: Sasuke has finally come home, but things are never as easy as they seem. Sakura and Sasuke's romance coming to life following the canon story line, as closely as possible. A sasusaku story.





	1. A Monster Conquered

Chapter 1: A Monster Conquered

 

“Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man.”

—Thomas Wolfe

          It was a strange feeling; letting go of vengeance, hate, and misery. It was especially strange when it was the only way of life he knew for the better part of his life. While an empty feeling seemed to have taken root within his chest, from the lack of such a focused goal, Sasuke discovered that the lack of those heavy emotions was very...freeing.

           He had finally been pushed, rather roughly at that, off his dark and misguided path. With that freeing feeling, however, came confusion, guilt, and tiny inklings of emptiness. He wasn't sure how to start over; how to live on the bright path his friends had cleared for him. Or rather, perhaps he felt he didn't truly deserve to walk that path.

           As he looked around the small apartment and out the window where, although you couldn’t see them, a small detail of Anbu operatives kept tabs on Sasuke as he continued to move through his trials. He understood the necessity and the pressures Kakashi was under from the council, but that didn’t stop their vigilance from annoying him.

           Huffing in agitation, Sasuke got up to pace the apartment for what was probably the hundredth time that day. He was allowed to come and go from the apartment as he pleased, however he was usually tailed by the ever silent, ever watchful band of Anbu assigned to him by the Hokage and Elders’ themselves. That is, unless, he was escorted by another shinobi who had the trust of the Hokage. These escorts seemed to be limited to the only three friends he had ever really known: Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura.

          Truly, these visits were the only social interaction he had during the passing of his trials. And, while he was annoyed at times by their presence, Sasuke was more grateful than any of the three would ever know, especially because it would rescue him from the dark thoughts that tended to consume him after an extended time of isolation. The crimes of his past, the darkness that had haunted him, the atrocities he committed against his friends, they all tended to start to creep up when he was alone for too long reflecting on his newly found path.

           Kakashi didn’t stop by as often as the others, but Sasuke still appreciated his old sensei taking the time from his busy schedule to stop by occasionally. Honestly, Sasuke thought he had another motive behind his visits, as the stacks of paperwork within the Hokage’s office seemed to only be growing. Regardless, Sasuke found Kakashi’s visits pleasant enough. Usually, they consisted of the two of them quietly enjoying a cup of tea; an activity Sasuke truly never tired of, especially when it was in silence.

           Naruto’s visits were never quiet and usually involved dragging Sasuke out of the apartment for what Naruto referred to as, “lessons in socialization,” where he forced Sasuke to sit with a group of his classmates from his genin days and eat ramen at Ichiraku. Sasuke was never a huge fan of ramen or large outings, but he felt the gatherings to be a nice distraction from the proceedings. Though he never admitted it out loud, he also always appreciated time with the shinobi whom he had grown to share the bonds of a brother with (even if he was always annoying).

           Finally, there was Sakura. She seemed to drop by the most. At first, this surprised him. Though Sasuke had apologized for all he did to her, he did not expect such instant and complete forgiveness from his teammate. He had truly put that girl through hell and in his darkest hours, when his psyche was the most broken it had ever been, he even attempted to take her life. Just remembering that moment wracked Sasuke with guilt. Remembering the pain that crossed her face when he placed her in that genjutsu at the conclusion of their battle with Kaguya only elevated that guilt. In his warped way of thinking, he was keeping her safe, saving her, however, he knew now that it had been a great mistake.

             And yet, she appeared every morning with a small smile during his short stay at the hospital. Both Naruto and Sasuke were brought there after their fight, but, of course, Naruto’s healing abilities put him on the road to recovery much faster and his stay was brief. Sasuke, however, did not have the advantage of sharing a body with a tailed beast and found himself in the hospital for a few weeks. These are when her visits truly started.

              Sakura took to his care personally. She made sure to attend to his every need in the most professional manner. She would fill the time with chatter about the village and the hospital as she checked his progress and never seemed bothered by his silence. In fact, she didn’t seem to expect any type of response. Strangely enough, Sasuke wasn’t annoyed by this as he would have been in their younger years. He felt as though she were simply filling him in on the time he had missed. In some of these moments he would feel something akin to regret for not being there.  As she worked her healing chakra over him, Sakura remained focused and utterly quiet. Sasuke used this time to study her and continue to ponder over how she had so easily forgiven him and how utterly different and yet similar she was from the girl he had known in their genin days. He realized at the end of those healing sessions that he felt oddly warm, comforted, and a ghost of a smile would pass his lips.

              As Sasuke’s time came to a close at the hospital he had also learned a great amount about Sakura from chattering staff members and patients alike. It was interesting, during all the time Sakura had spent filling him in on what he missed during his absence, she never talked about her own achievements and growth. She had never mentioned her accomplishments or anything about herself during their time apart, at all. Sasuke pondered on this, but for the moment chalked it up to modesty, as Sakura still seemed to retain the shy part of her nature, despite her growth in character. He found himself slightly relieved at that. And yet, he felt a small bubble of irritation grow settle in his stomach at the thought of her excluding information pertaining to herself. This just sent him into deeper annoyance due to his confusion based on these new feelings. He didn’t push her on this and instead continued to listen to her as she continued her healing sessions.

               After he was cleared and marked as recovered, Sasuke was given his small apartment and told he was on standby for his trials and that he should use the time to prep for those hearings. The next morning, Sasuke was surprised by a knock on the door. On the other side stood Sakura with that same bright smile on her face and a stack of papers cradled in her arms.

               “Thought I’d help you prepare for your hearings,” she said as she shifted the stacks in her arms.

               Sasuke merely quirked an eyebrow at this, but found himself stepping inside to let her in. He ignored the small stirring in his belly when her smile grew. He would have been dumb not to accept her help. Apart from Shikamaru, Sakura was Konaha’s most intelligent nin and would be a formidable ally in his fight against the Council of Elders.

               And so, the next few days consisted of Sakura appearing in the morning and pouring herself over the files and folders for a few hours. She briefed Sasuke on what to expect and the best strategy to earn him a less severe punishment and/or a justified pardon for his crimes. Sasuke didn’t believe there would be such forgiveness for the crimes he committed, and even if there was he knew he truly did not deserve it. But, he would never say this to Sakura who was working so diligently to help him earn his place back in the village.

               While he didn’t say much during these visits, he did begin to watch Sakura more thoroughly. She was certainly more focused and driven then when she was first assigned to their team. She was scrupulous in her work too, always crossing her t’s and dotting her i’s. He always was impressed by her intelligence, but he would never admit that. He would also never admit that this was when he first started to notice that she always scrunched her nose when she was figuring out an answer to a complex problem and that she always tucked her hair behind her ear when she became intensely focused. He couldn’t quite piece together why he was beginning to notice small details like this. For the time being, Sasuke chalked this up to his observant nature.

               On the first day of his hearing he noticed a new folder in Sakura’s arms as she walked him toward the designated building. He pressed her on this, but to his surprise she simply stated it was nothing as a small blush began to bloom on her face. He didn’t press any further, but noticed the file disappeared after Sakura’s appeal and testimony; which he was not allowed to observe.

               As his future was being debated by the Council and Hokage, Sakura began to visit in the evening on her way to the hospital. She would check up on him both physically and in the way of updates. She also made it a point to bring him food of some sort, insisting that he needed to eat well, or it would impede the rest of his healing. Sasuke would simply scoff at this, but took the food none the less. He noticed that while it never looked very appealing, it was still delicious and left him feeling quite content.

               It was during these visits, the time of waiting for the decision regarding his future with the village, that Sasuke began to speak more to Sakura. On the nights that she didn’t bring food before her shift, she would quietly drink tea with him after her routine checkup.

               “Why are you putting so much effort into helping me?” Sasuke finally asked the question that had been circling around his thoughts for the past few weeks. “I tried to kill you. I trapped you in that horrible nightmare. I’ve hurt you countless times. It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

               He watched as Sakura’s eyes dimmed for a moment before she closed her eyes completely. She scowled momentarily and then a small smile spread across her face as she opened vibrant green eyes.

               “Because, you’re my friend, Sasuke. I care about you just as much as Naruto does. And while I can’t forgive your actions, I can forgive them. Darkness and hate turn people into monsters that don’t truly reflect who they are. That monster was not the real you, Sasuke and you’re working to prove that now.” Sasuke didn’t have a chance to respond because as soon as she said this, Sakura simply smiled once more, waved, and then headed out to her shift at the hospital.


	2. Lingering Shadows

Chapter 2: Lingering Shadows  

“Has anyone ever given anything to you

In your darkest hours

Did you ever give it back?

Well, I have

I have given that to you”

\- Stevie Nicks

         

Sasuke found himself analyzing Sakura's words constantly over the next few days. It was made all the more infuriating by the fact that she hadn't stopped by since she had left him with those parting words. She was so damn annoying. Sasuke huffed as he ran his remaining hand through his hair. She always managed to get under his skin, especially when he knew, very deep down, that her words contained truth.

How could she, a person he had hurt an immeasurable amount, forgive him when he couldn't even forgive himself? He really had underestimated her strength, not only physically, but apparently mentally, as well. Sakura truly had changed. Sasuke had always found her intriguing to a degree, albeit annoying, but she had truly changed in the time he had been away. He found himself interested in learning more about this new Sakura. Something he would have forgone in the past, but now he didn't have to shove aside his emotions and sacrifice his bonds for the sake of hatred and revenge. This was all very strange and new to him, and as he continued to mull over his newfound interest, he heard a knock on the door.

Sasuke opened the door, half expecting Sakura, and found a twinge of disappointment tug at him when he was greeted by the 6th Hokage instead. A small sigh fell from his lips as he pushed the feeling away to examine later.

"Yo." Kakashi lifted his hand in a lazy wave; his face unreadable beneath his mask. Sasuke simply quirked a brow and moved aside to let his former sensei enter.

"I see we're making great strides in our social mannerisms. Perhaps, I should ask Naruto to up the ante with his "socializing lessons," Kakashi spoke sarcastically as he took a seat at the small table within the kitchen area. His eyes crinkled in an unseen smile at Sasuke's narrowed eyes and scowl.

"The idiot dragging me along to watch him shove ramen in his face and make a fool of himself around our peers isn't something I would label as lessons."

"Lessons come in all shapes and sizes, Sasuke. I hope I taught you that much. Anyways, as much as I would have loved to come here just to chat for hours with you, I actually came with news." Sasuke could just tell a smug smirk was hidden underneath that infuriating piece of fabric.

"Oh?" Sasuke raised a brow in question. He wondered what the news could be. The council wasn't supposed to have a decision made for another two weeks and he couldn't remember either Sakura or Naruto speaking about anything that would later bring about "news."

"You should really learn to contain your excitement a little better, Sasuke. Anyways, it seems the council has come to a verdict early."

"And?" Sasuke felt tension building in every part of his body but made sure to maintain his aloof expression.

"Well, you're going to be confined to Konaha for a number of months and remain under observation, but after that period is up you will be pardoned and free to do what you please. Well, within reason that is."

Relief washed over Sasuke like a cool wave and a breath he hadn't even known he was holding pushed past his lips.

"You should really thank Naruto and Sakura, though," Kakashi pulled him from his thoughts, "they really went to bat for you with the council. I've never seen those old men so frustrated and frightened by a woman like that since, well, Tsunade. Both have been there late countless nights. I believe Sakura even went from a long shift at the hospital straight to the deliberations and didn't leave until early the next morning. And I guess my word held some sway too." Kakashi laced his fingers and placed his chin upon them.

"Thank you." Sasuke couldn't express his gratitude enough, but he was a man of few words and he hoped the sentiment came across clearly.

"What are friends for?" Kakashi stated as he slowly rose up from the table and waved his hand around. "Just make sure you thank them, too."

"Aa." Sasuke nodded and followed his former teacher to the door.

"And Sasuke, I hope you use this opportunity to truly reshape your life into all you want it to be. Remember, you're free of all the weight now. Try to find some happiness. Despite what you think, you deserve that." And with that Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Find some happiness, huh?" Sasuke mused to himself as he sat back down at the table. He wondered what that looked like. What would bring happiness into his life, again? Well, he definitely had the time to figure it out now.

It wasn't long until another thought surfaced in his musings. Kakashi was right; he needed to thank his two friends. As he recalled Kakashi's words, he noticed that he emphasized Sakura's role in his verdict. He wondered why for a brief moment, until he connected Sakura's absence at his apartment with her presence at the council. After her parting words days ago, it seemed she went to prove the truth in them herself by relentlessly petitioning the council. He found a small smile spread across his face. He knew Sakura had more tenacity and could be just as stubborn and hard headed as Naruto and himself. He could easily picture the faces of the old council members as she unremittingly argued for his freedom. She really was something else.

Sasuke looked briefly out the window in the kitchen and noticed that his observation party had been reduced to two Anbu guards. He really did need to thank those two. Especially Sakura, if what Kakashi had said proved entirely true. He huffed in frustration. He was never very good at expressing his feelings and this was even more evident around his two friends who were all about showing their emotions to an extreme.

"I guess I'll figure something out."

The next day, Sasuke was about to head out to the market when he opened his door to bright orange and an even brighter grin. Sasuke sighed.

"Congratulations, teme! I just heard the 'official' news from Kakashi-sensei! Welcome back to Konaha, buddy!" If possible, Naruto's grin grew as he lightly punched Sasuke's shoulder. A small smirk pulled on Sasuke's lips.

"Thanks." Sasuke continued to walk on with Naruto falling in stride.

"We should definitely go celebrate! I could really use some Ichiraku, too," Naurto said with a wide smile as he patted his stomach.

"I'd rather not."

"What?! C'mon! We have to celebrate your release! Plus, we haven't gone out together as a team for weeks now!"

"That's going to be hard to do when a third of your team isn't present. Besides, I have to go to the market."

"You're right! We definitely need to pick up Sakura-chan. Grandma says she's been running herself ragged between her hospital shifts and her work convincing the council. She even told me that after she heard the council's final decision, she went straight to the hospital to finish the work she fell behind on. I guess between that and a recent short mission she hasn't been home much. She could definitely use the break." Naruto raised a brow at Sasuke as he saw a small frown form on Sasuke's face.

"She hasn't been resting enough?"

"Probably not. Every time I've gone to see her she's been at the hospital and Kakashi said she's just gotten back from that mission." Naruto scratched at his face questioningly.

"Hn." Sasuke found himself feeling annoyed and worried at the same time. Sakura was a medic. She should have known better not to overwork herself to that degree. Always trying to do everything for everyone, but herself. Sasuke sighed. It looked like he was going to have to go to the market another time. If Sakura wasn't going to take care of herself, the least Sasuke could do as her friend and as a thank you was to help take care of her.

"Sooooo?" Naruto elbowed Sasuke with a smirk like he knew something Sasuke didn't. Sasuke scoffed.

"Yeah, let's go pick up Sakura from the hospital."

"Hell yeah!" Naruto threw a fist in the air and grinned widely. "Let's go get her."

Sasuke and Naruto found Sakura rubbing her temples at her desk in the hospital. The signs of fatigue were written all over her face. Sasuke also noticed her chakra signature was quite weak. She was clearly exhausted. It was so annoying that she wasn't taking care of herself; when she specialized in taking care of the human body.

And yet, Sasuke watched as her face lit up, all traces of her exhaustion pushed away, as she glanced up to see Naruto and himself in the doorway.

"Sasuke-kun! Naruto! What are you guys doing here?" Sasuke had no idea how she did it. How she managed to stay so bright and optimistic even when times were tough was always astonishing to Sasuke. Her smile also always had a way of making him feel lighter. It seemed to uncoil some of the tension in him. It happened when they were genin, too, but Sasuke was too busy with power and revenge to give it much mind. Now that he was set on the path to recovery from those things, Sasuke started to notice these little feelings much more. He found that said feelings weren't terrible either. In fact, they were…pleasant, though, he would never admit to this to anyone. He had a hard-enough time admitting them to himself.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Time for you to take a break. We're going to celebrate Sasuke's freedom with a good old-fashioned team 7 Ichiraku trip!"

"Really? I'd love to, but…," Sakura looked at the two sheets of paper sitting on her desk. Sasuke followed her eyes and quirked a brow. She was obviously caught up on work, so why was she trying to avoid going?

"C'mon Sakura! I haven't seen you in forever. I bet Sasuke hasn't either and we're both worried. In fact, he mad sure we came to get you. You need to take a break. You need to relax and have some fun." Naruto brought his hands together in a pleading gesture.

Sakura looked surprised. "Really?" A thoughtful look passed over her face. Sasuke watched as her bright green eyes traveled to his. He shrugged. "Is that true, Sasuke? You and Naruto are worried about me?"

Sasuke momentarily averted his gaze before locking his eyes with her. "Aa," he said with complete honesty. He never had a reason to lie to Sakura. He watched as a small blush rose to her cheeks. Sasuke felt a small sense of amusement stir and quickly pushed down the small smirk that tried to break loose.

Sakura's lips pursed and her eyes gazed downward. She still seemed to be conflicted. Sasuke sighed before walking closer to her and tried to catch her gaze. When emerald met onyx he spoke, "You really need to take a break," was all he said. Another few seconds passed.

"Okay. I guess you two are right. Maybe a break would be good." The small genuine smile returned. Sasuke felt the small calmness from it wash over him and let a ghost of a smile grace his features. He watched as Sakura's own smile grew.

"Alright! Let's go!" Naruto swooped in and hooked his arms through both of theirs. He pulled them out of the hospital, as Sasuke scoffed and Sakura chuckled. Perhaps, Sasuke could find happiness here.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update in a week?! Man, I think I'm getting into a rhythm!  
> Anyways, I clearly don't own Naruto  
> I'm still looking for more beta readers!
> 
> I would also love to hear your feedback! It helps motivate me :3  
> So, let me know what ya think!


	3. You Can(not) Erase the Past

 

“So they say lord for everything a reason

For every ending a new beginning

And so they say baby for everything a reason.”

-Carina Round

Sasuke sat on one side of Sakura and Naruto on the other. He watched as the two became engrossed in conversation. Apparently, for his two teammates, not seeing each other for a few weeks equated to forever in their notion of time. He listened intently as they swapped stories from their time apart and laughed at jokes he didn’t understand. This unintentional exclusion irked him, but Sasuke knew he deserved this. He had chosen to leave them for three years and these were the consequences. Countless stories, memories, joke, and the like that did not involve him, nor did he deserve to be included in them. He had chosen hate, power, and darkness. He had pushed away the light and possibility for happiness and goodness. In fact, he still couldn’t understand how they were sitting with him now. The whole way to the ramen stand he was reminded of his deeds and his status as an ex-criminal; people looked at him with open contempt and fear. Anger, guilt, and small amounts of sorrow stirred within him. He didn’t deserve to be here. He didn’t deserve that happiness. He was cursed like all of his clan to suffer miserably in his new life. Perhaps he should-

“Sasuke-kun?” A soft, light voice broke him from his darkening thoughts. Sasuke glanced to his left to see concerned green eyes roving over his frame; Naruto was already burying himself into his bowl of ramen.

“Hm?” Sasuke asked as he attempted to bring himself back from the depths of his thoughts. This answer didn’t seem to placate her. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

“What’s wrong? And don’t tell me ‘nothing’ because I can tell that something has been bothering you since we walked here.” Sakura’s voice was laced with concern, but contained no pity, but Sasuke still wasn’t used to people worrying about him. He had no yet breached that mountain; he had yet to overcome that obstacle of letting others worry about him or help him with his problems without considering it a weakness on his part.

Sasuke sighed. “Nothing is wrong, Sakura,” Sasuke replied softly, avoiding her gaze. He pulled his bowl of ramen closer to him as he tried to drown out the slurping sounds coming from the other size of Sakura.

“Don’t lie to me. I know it has to do with how everyone looked at you on the way here. I noticed. I know you did too.” Sakura looked seriously at Sasuke then; her green eyes held a fierce spark, “They’re wrong. They know nothing about you. I know you won’t let them get to you, but, still, know that they’re wrong and they mean nothing.”

Sasuke quirked a brow, but still avoided her gaze as best he could. It wasn’t fair that she could read his pain so easily; that she could get into his head and notice the things he wished to keep hidden. He really didn’t care what people thought of him, but he already felt as though Konaha was not truly his home. The whispers, glares, and skittish actions around him only fueled that feeling. And even the stoic Uchiha was prone to feeling a bit discouraged when so many around him openly detested or feared him.

“You saved them, Sasuke. Even with some of your more ‘unsavory’ deeds, you still chose to save the world. That means something, Sasuke. It shows you chose to change; that you always had good hidden under the surface. Don’t let their words deter you or the progress you’ve made.” Sakura looked at him with that same fierce look one more time before she gave him a small smile and then tucked into her own bowl of ramen.

Really, this new Sakura was something else, but still had some of those annoying tendencies, like causing a small sensation of warmth to spread in his chest. He turned his attention to his own bowl.

The next few days passed by calmly. Sasuke would occasionally take walks around the village, making sure to avoid eye contact with the villagers, and at other times he would find himself at the training ground with Naruto. He was slowly regaining his strength and moving past his recovery. The days were uneventful, but peaceful. However, something still felt off. Since his dinner with his comrades, Sasuke had seen both Naruto and Kakashi, but Sakura seemed to have disappeared again. He felt the mix of worry and agitation bubble up again at the thought that she was overworking herself again. He was also curious as to why she seemed to have fallen off the radar again after leaving him with soft, but strong words. It was very frustrating. And so, Sasuke was left to ponder these words and feelings, again, without any answer from the speaker herself.

It had been about a week since their dinner and the sun was setting when Sasuke heard a light rapping at his door. It was probably Naruto trying to drag him out for ramen again for the 3rd night in a row.

“Listen, idiot, I can’t take three nights in a row of ramen and your—” Sasuke stopped short when he wasn’t greeted by orange at the door, but pink and green instead. He watched a small smirk form on Sakura’s face.

“Don’t want to go for ramen, then? Good thing that’s not what I’m here for,” Sakura chuckled as she replied. Sasuke’s lips formed a straight line, as he gathered himself before his unexpected visitor.

“Sakura?” Honestly, Sasuke was quite confused by the appearance of his friend after her absence for the past week and the days before that, even. He moved aside to let Sakura in. She smiled shyly at him as she passed to toe off her shoes.

“I just came to check on you. I wanted to make sure you are completely recovered, check your arm, and just make sure you’re doing okay.” Sakura sat herself down at Sasuke’s small kitchen table and looked up at him with bright green eyes. Sasuke wondered why she acted like nothing had happened the last two times they met. Had she not been as affected by her own words as he had? Yet, here she was acting like it was just another day and she was worrying about him as usual. He really was having a hard time understanding this stronger, more mature Sakura.

“I’m fine.” Sasuke sat down across from her.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Sakura replied as she stood to stand next to him. Sasuke allowed her to check his basic vitals and the place where his arm used to be. He didn’t let it show, but he enjoyed the warm comforting feeling her chakra provided as she scanned him for any sign of medical troubles. The warmth was taken away all too quickly. Sakura moved back to her seat across from him. “You were right. You’ve healed nicely. Your arm looks fine, as well.”

“Aa.” Sasuke watched her quietly. Her small smile was still in place.

“And you’re doing okay? Here?” Sakura gestured to the apartment. Sasuke simply nodded in response and watched as Sakura’s smile grew. That feeling of warmth started up again.

“Good. I was a little worried after our dinner, but you seem to be doing okay. I’m sorry…I know I haven’t been around recently, but I’ve been a bit…busy.” Sakura averted her eyes just for a moment, but Sasuke caught it. She was keeping something from him. “Just don’t…don’t keep anything from us. If something is bothering you, let us know. Holding onto dark feelings or keeping things bottled up; it’s not good for you. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. I just…don’t want you deal with all of it alone, anymore. I know it’s something I could never fully understand, but I’m still here for you, so is Naruto and Kakashi. I just wanted you to know you’re not alone.”

The warmth began to spread in his chest again. And, as much as he wish he could accept her words, he still couldn’t find it in him to share the darkness with his friends, especially her. She didn’t deserve any of it. He had put her through too much and here she was, still offering her support to him. He just couldn’t understand. If he were in her position…

“Sasuke?” Sakura’s voice pulled him from his thoughts once again. He couldn’t share with her, but he didn’t want her to feel as though her offer was unappreciated.

Very hesitantly, Sasuke brought his mismatched eyes to meet her viridian gaze. It took him a moment to pull the words from the depths of his heart. He had said them to her before, but he was still so unused to saying the words in general but speaking them to her would make it easier.

“Thank you, Sakura.” Sasuke allowed a small soft smile to grace his lips. He felt the warmth in his chest spread further as a large smile spread across Sakura’s lips and a blush painted itself across the apples of her cheeks.

*****

As the weeks passed by, Sasuke found himself spending more time with Sakura. With being confined to the village there wasn’t much he could do besides train and spend time with his teammates. He saw Naruto quite often, as his loud and optimistic friend seemed to always seek him out. They ended up training together quite frequently, along with Naruto still dragging him along to ramen. After that, Naruto would usually run off to train in his own way, with Kakashi, in preparation for becoming Hokage. It was after these times that Sasuke would find himself either running into Sakura or seeking her out.

Sasuke found after his conversation with Sakura that night, that he quite enjoyed the time spent with her. Far from the babbling genin she once was, Sakura was now a highly intelligent shinobi that had many opinions on varying subjects and intriguing insights. He found himself very attentive to what she had to say; perhaps he was even slightly invested. Of course, he never said much when she spoke; he was a man of few words. However, he did make sure to listen intently. Mostly, he would join her for tea or walks before she would head to a shift at the hospital or out on a mission. He found himself enjoying that time more than he would have thought possible just a month or two ago. It was a bit annoying, all these new feelings, but also pleasant. And yet, he still found himself feeling guilty about enjoying himself, after everything he had done. He promised to protect this village his brother and friends worked so hard to protect, but he still couldn’t shake the pain that was a result of the darkness that he had allowed to consume him in the past. Naruto and, especially, Sakura stood in stark contrast to that inky blackness that had infiltrated his heart once. And along these webs of thought, he would feel the guilt start to eat away at him again.

While he didn’t feel this in Sakura’s presence, it would start to eat away at him when he was left alone. However, he felt that was his cross to bear as an atonement for his sins. The lack of sleep and the guilt were nothing in comparison to what he had put his friends and so many other innocent people through. Maybe, that is why he sought her company more.

It was during those following weeks where Sasuke would occasionally seek solace from those thoughts in Sakura’s company that he truly learned more about who Sakura had become. He even learned that she carried a few of her childhood traits, as well. Sakura still put others foolishly before her and didn’t know when to give up and stop. She was still as stubborn and headstrong as the day he met her at the academy. He found himself amused by this and glad she hadn’t lost those core parts of her being. However, he found that they also brought him a great source of annoyance, but in a much different way than they had as genin.

Sakura worked herself well past exhaustion. She refused to listen to anyone on this point, as well. Her position at the hospital was second only to her mentor, Tsunade, and Sakura took her responsibilities to heart. Along with her perchance for double shifts, Sakura began preparations to propose to the council a Children’s Mental Health Ward, especially after the war. When pushed on this subject, she would simply look both Sasuke and Naruto in the eye and let them know that she never wanted to see what happened to them as children happen to any others. It was a sentiment that made Sasuke swell with pride for his teammate and he knew Naruto shared that feeling. As if those two things weren’t enough, Sakura also had recently been promoted to jounin under their new hokage for her exceptional efforts in the war. This meant that Sakura was also pulled for higher ranking missions that required a large amount of work. And this working to the point of collapsing his what Sasuke found incredibly annoying. Didn’t she care about her own welfare?

And it was for this reason that Sasuke found Sakura stumbling home from the gates after returning from a week-long mission over near the Village Hidden in the Clouds. If Sasuke remembered correctly, she had left straight from a double shift at the hospital, as well. Sasuke sighed deeply and tried hide the concern that had begun to take root in his heart.

“Sakura.” Sasuke watched as weary eyes took a moment to focus and find his own. A small smile appeared on her lips. Even exhausted she was still smiling.

“Sasuke-kun. It’s good to see you.” Sasuke watched as Sakura stifled a yawn and shifted her bag’s weight. He could practically feel the exhaustion radiating off her.

“Well, we can catch up later,” she said as she began to walk past him, “I need to report in and then I should probably go see what I missed at the hospital.” She shook her head seemingly to try and wake herself up more. Sasuke felt more annoyed by this statement. There was no way she was going to work another shift in that state, in fact, she could simply report in tomorrow morning, as well. All shinobi had twenty-four hours between their return home and when they would have to report in.  

“Sakura, you’re not going to the hospital like that.” He watched as she turned around slowly and did her best to focus bleary eyes on him. Her face contorted in confusion; a small pout played on her lips. That warmth began in his chest again and Sasuke couldn’t help but find Sakura’s expressions to still contain the same charm they had on him as a genin. He found himself trying to keep his composure more often around her; his emotions spiking in ways he was not used to.

“Sasuke, I have to go. I’m sure they need help with something. I Have to do what I can,” she replied whilst stifling another yawn. She smiled again before turning around. Sasuke was wrong, she was more stubborn than Naruto.

“They’re fine. I’m sure they have measures in place for when you’re gone,” Sasuke’s voice was softer than usual as he grabbed her wrist to stop her from moving forward. A bright red blush had appeared on Sakura’s face as she turned to face him. “You need to go home and sleep for a bit.”

“N-no. I’ll be fine. Thank you, for worrying, though, Sasuke-kun.” Sasuke felt Sakura begin to pull away. She clearly wasn’t going to listen to reason. Sasuke sighed before pulling her close enough to lift the small kunouchi and toss her over his shoulder.

“Don’t be annoying.” Sasuke was glad Sakura was slung over his shoulder because for the first time in years, a light dusting of pink adorned his cheeks. He was sure Sakura looked exactly the same.

“S-Sasuke-kun?!” Sakura stammered from behind him.

“I’m taking you home to rest. You clearly aren’t listening to reason, so this is the only way. Now point me in the direction,” Sasuke held her tighter incase she got any ideas of trying to escape off to the hospital. “You don’t rest enough. You need to take care of yourself more and apparently I need to help with that.”

A small silence stretched out uncomfortably for a moment. “O-okay then,” Sakura replied meekly and Sasuke allowed a small smile to slip free.

It took them about twenty minutes with Sakura stuttering out directions and falling asleep a few times, but Sasuke managed to get her to her front door. She didn't live with her parents as he had thought but had moved into an apartment on her own. Sakura had become completely independent in his time away from her. He felt her stir from her latest slumber as he set her down gently.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said softly as she rubbed her eyes; too tired to blush.

"Get some rest," was Sasuke's reply. He watched her as she unlocked her door. He turned to leave her to head to bed.

"Um, could we maybe catch up tomorrow?" Sasuke stopped when he felt a small tug at his armless sleeve. He turned to see her bright, but very sleepy, green eyes focused on him as a blush finally returned to her face. Sasuke felt the warmth again and a small sense of happiness pull at his heartstrings.

"Aa," Sasuke replied softly before watching her smile and head inside. As he started for his own apartment, Sasuke felt that something was changing within him even if it was small at the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done!  
> I think I'm doing a pretty good job at keeping a natural pace and maintaining accurate characterization. 
> 
> Still looking for beta readers ;A;


	4. A shift

  
“There are no maps of the change. You just come out the other side. Or you don’t.” -Stephen King

Sasuke kept his word and met with Sakura the next day. He listened attentively as she described her mission over the past week. He noticed she looked the slightly less fatigued, as well. Inwardly, he smirked. 

"And you Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questioned. She held his eyes with her own clear green eyes that reminded him of spring. He arched a brow. 

"More of the same." Sakura knew he was on probation and he had very limited options on how to fill his time, especially with how busy she kept herself; something he never thought he'd find the tiniest bit irritating, but here he was. It was already hard enough keeping himself occupied in a village he still, for the most part, abhorred, but finding himself wanting Sakura's company more often was even more frustrating. 

A warm hand atop his own for a fleeting second, drew him from his thoughts. 

"It will get better. I promise," Sakura said gently as he met her eyes again. As much as he didn't want to believe her, the warmth in her smile and the weight in her words made him believe, just the tiniest bit, that she might just be right. 

"Thank you, Sakura," Sasuke replied softly. He watched as Sakura fought to maintain her own composure. She wasn't doing very well, though. He watched the blush spread from the very roots of her hair. The gleam in her eyes remained, however. She was no longer the flustered and embarrassed child. She held her ground and her smile grew. He is as glad that despite all he had done, their bond continued to grow. However, whether or not he deserved that was another issue Sasuke found himself constantly struggling with. 

It was an hour or so later that Sakura realized the time. 

"I have to go! I'm going to be late to my shift at the hospital if I don't leave now!" Sasuke watched as the kunoichi sprung up from her seat and shoved money, for both of their meals much to Sasuke's chagrin, into the hands of the server. Something similar to the instincts he used so frequently pushed Sasuke to follow. He was a little surprised by the words that fell from his lips. 

"I'll walk with you," Sasuke said, as he moved from the table to follow Sakura. He watched her raise one pink brow and look at him intently for a moment before a grin spread across her face. 

"Okay. I just hope you can keep up," she teased.   
Sasuke smriked and rolled his eyes. 

"I'll do my best," he replied in a deadpan voice, smirk still in place.   
He kept the small smile to himself and followed Sakura through the entryway. . 

Sasuke listened as Sakura explained her plans for the children's clinic, as they walked towards the hospital. She elaborated excitedly about the positive effect the clinic would have not only on children impacted by the war, but the community, as well. It was her project and she swelled with pride when speaking out it. It made the warmth in Sasuke's chest expand greatly. Any trace of selfishness from her genin days was long gone now, not that there was much to begin with if he remembered correctly. 

Sasuke was about to congratulate her when the hospital came into view. 

"Oh, we're here already. Sorry for talking your ear off Sasuke. Thanks for walking with me. I'll see you around!" And with that, Sakura had run off and through he entrance. An idea started to rattle around in his head as he walked towards the training grounds to meet Naruto. 

Over the next couple of days, Sasuke found himself occasionally intercepting Sakura on her way to the hospital and walking with her to her destination. They talked about a great deal of things, well she talked more than he did, but Sasuke found himself looking forward to these walks along with the moments he could spend with her during her downtime. 

It was perhaps a few weeks into this routine that Sasuke didn't find Sakura on her path to work. When he questioned the hospital, he found she was sent on a sudden urgent mission. Sasuke felt a small twinge of irritation at the fact that she left without letting him know she was leaving, but the nurse had said it was sudden and urgent.

The next two weeks were odd. Sasuke heard nothing from Sakura and the lack of the routine he had become accustomed to. He filled the time with studies, training, and anything to occupy his mind from dark memories that slipped into his dreams at night. He avoided spending too much time in town. Even with Sakura’s encouraging words, Sasuke couldn’t help but feel trapped and cagey, especially when hostile citizens faced him.

It was the first day of the third week of Sakura’s absence, as Sasuke walked to the field that he sensed something was wrong. It was confirmed when Naruto ran toward him.

“Sakura’s back, but something is wrong. I think her squad was attacked pretty badly by some high ranking missing-nin from the war,” Naruto shouted as he ran past Sasuke. That was all he needed to hear before he bolted past his blonde friend and straight for the hospital entrance. Worry and fear pushed him on through the hospital, searching for the feeling of Sakura’s chakra signature. It was weak, but Sasuke found it on the floor for the intensive care unit.

Sasuke stopped abruptly at the window of the surgical room. In the rush to heal, they had forgotten to shut the blinds. Sasuke watched as Sakura, beaten and bruised, worked tirelessly to heal the rest of her squad. Her focus was fully consumed by the men and women lying before her. Her hair was pulled up and sweat poured from her brow. Sasuke felt a strange tick in his heart beat at the sight, but he didn’t have time to analyze that now. While he was relieved that Sakura was not critically injured, worry began to surge through him. She was dangerously close to the fate of her comrades with how low her chakra stores were. She must have carried them all home and finished off whoever had beaten the others so badly. She was the least injured of the squad, but her chakra was close to depletion. It took all his self-restraint to not burst in and pull his teammate out of the room and back home to rest and heal herself. As Sakura’s levels hit dangerous levels, Sasuke moved to pull her out, but was stopped by Naruto and Tsunade.

“Don’t worry, Sasuke. Granny will take it from here,” Naruto said as he placed a comforting hand on Sasuke’s shoulder. He glanced over to see the blonde smiling and Sasuke let a breath of relief out. He nodded in affirmation, as Sasuke watched Tsunade stop her pupil and push her out of the room. There wasn’t much work left for her, but Sakura was too close to pure exhaustion to be allowed to continue. Sasuke watched as Naruto approached her and looked her over.

“Sakura-chan. I heard what happened. You saved them. Great job.” Naruto pulled Sakura into a hug and held her for a moment before looking over to Sasuke. Something seemed to gleam in his eyes as he pulled away from his friend.

“You look awful. I think you should go home and rest. I know you’ll refuse to stay here, Granny already told me that you hated taking up space for ‘people that actually need the attention and care offered here,’ or something like that. Sasuke and I will take you home!” Naruto grinned at her as he fucked his head under her arm and shifted her weight to his side. Sasuke watched as Sakura’s tired face started to turn frustrated. He knew she hated to have people do things for her.

“Listen, you don’t have to take me home I can do it—” Sakura was interrupted, however, as Sasuke wrapped his arm around her waist and made sure her other arm draped over his shoulders.

“We’re taking you home. Don’t argue.” Sasuke looked over to see Naruto smiling warmly at the both of them. He didn’t get to hear Sakura argue, however, as it seems she finally gave into the exhaustion and loss of chakra. He found himself and Naruto chuckling softly at how stubborn she was. She hadn’t ceased to amaze him since he had returned.

As they carried the exhausted girl home, Sasuke finally realized that something in him, when it came to his bond with Sakura, had begun to shift. He found himself uneasy about it, but there was underlying excitement as well. He let the small smile rest comfortably on his lips for a while as they carried her home. 

Naruto said nothing but he was glad the bonds in his team had truly begun to blossom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter thanks to a kind critique reminding me not to rush myself. Honestly, I think even these small tweaks fixed my characterization a bunch. 
> 
> Chap 5 will probs be a lot more angsty and longer as Sasuke's mind doesn't handle happiness super well right now.


	5. Small Changes

“I’m gonna need some kind of strength to rebuild everything up again.” -Love, Robot

An unspoken agreement formed between the two friends. Sasuke found himself walking Sakura to the hospital less but walking her home from it instead. After carrying her home from her mission with Naruto, Sasuke had found the Sakura at the hospital not two days later, working a double. After harsh words from Tsunade and a lot of stubbornness on his part, Sasuke was able to convince her to head home. Sasuke watched as she stumbled beside him, while trying to keep a conversation. It was that point that Sasuke decided if no one could convince her to stop overworking herself, he could at least make sure she made it home after.

It had a been a few months from that day. Sasuke had trained with Naruto on countless occasions, eaten a number of team meals with his teammates and old sensei, and spent many moments in the company of Sakura, whether walking her home, meeting her for tea, or some other excursion. And while everything should have felt wonderful, there was still something wrong. Guilt continued to consume him for his crimes, and while he should have been enjoying the new chance he was given with his friends, he couldn’t quite bring himself to trust Konaha just yet or forgive himself for what he had done when he had fallen from the path. And while a part of him wished he could enjoy himself and all the new feelings taking root in his heart, Sasuke was wracked with guilt whenever he began to feel that happiness.

This line of thinking was consuming him as he took out his frustrations on the training field. It was one of the days when Naruto was busy preparing for his future with Kakashi and Sasuke found himself frustrated that he didn’t have any way to push himself further to pull himself away from the thoughts eating away at him. He had just managed to wreck another tree with chidori when he heard a familiar voice.

“I’d hate to see what that tree did to you,” Sakura teased as she walked over to where he was standing.

Sasuke scowled. Usually he welcomed Sakura’s teasing, in fact he found it quite endearing, however with how dark his thoughts were becoming it just wasn’t the right time. He ignored her and turned his attention back to his training.

“You alright, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked as she continued to approach Sasuke.

“Aa,” was his only reply as he pulled his kusanagi from the demolished tree. There was a moment of silence before he heard the sound of rummaging behind him.

“Liar,” she muttered as Sasuke turned around to find Sakura pulling her gloves on.

Sasuke simply raised a questioning brow as she planted a hand on her hip and glanced at him with the same questioning look.

“Well, it looks like you don’t want to talk, and Naruto isn’t here, so I’m guessing you need a sparing partner. Might I suggest we just work on some taijutsu?” Sakura said all of this without missing a beat. Sasuke continued to look at her with the same confused look. The two of them spar? Even when they trained back when they were a team, Sasuke never actually took the time to spar with her, but now she had caught up. She stood on even ground with the boys and didn’t back down from a challenge. Her skills were formidable and Sasuke had witnessed this new outstanding strength firsthand. This could be interesting, especially in terms of just a taijutsu spar. Sasuke rolled his shoulders and sheathed his sword. Despite the guilt and despair, he was feeling, an entertained smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Okay then,” Sasuke replied as he got into position.

“I’m not going to hold back, so don’t you dare hold back, either,” Sakura taunted.

She moved more quickly than he remembered her being able to move and in a split second she had closed the space between them and had a fist aimed square at his jaw. Sasuke brought up his arms to block just in time, but the force of Sakura’s punch pushed him back a few feet and his whole body could feel the impact. He couldn’t afford to allow her to land many blows.

Sasuke found himself more on the defensive than he wanted to be, but the fight was keeping him on his toes; distracting him from the very thoughts that pushed him into such an aggressive state in the first place.

Their dance lasted for quite some time. They matched blow for blow and pushed one another farther. They were reaching their limit when both landed a well placed hook on the other’s jaw. The two shinobi fell to the ground in a sweaty heap. Sasuke turned his head when he heard Sakura begin to chuckle.

“I guess that’s a draw. I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed I didn’t win. I guess I’ll just have to get you next time,” Sakura grinned.

Sasuke lay peacefully for a second, the only sound their heavy breathing. If only for a moment, his head was clear of guilt and the torment that it caused. He turned his onyx eyes to hers and let a rare soft smile appear.

“Aa. Next time.”

In the following weeks, Sasuke continued to spend time with Naruto, Sakura, and occasionally Kakashi. As much as he found himself enjoying the time, he was getting more restless. His guilt at sitting comfortable in the village after his brother’s sacrifice and all the atrocities he had taken a part of. The inability to participate in missions or do much other than train or read left Sasuke to his thoughts much more than he wanted. When he was in the dark, even with the horrid memories, he had a goal and drive that pushed guilt and other such thoughts away. Then, of course, when he was completely gone, he had not cared for his bonds and so the thoughts didn’t really matter or surface. Now, even with warmer feelings beginning to fill his existence, Sasuke had a hard time accepting them with all he had done. He didn’t deserve the forgiveness he was so easily given by his friends. The rest of the world still looked down on him, but his team so easily forgave him for his sins. He just couldn’t accept it. He needed to earn it, just as he needed to earn the forgiveness from the world around him. He just needed to figure out how. Until then, no matter how he felt around his friends, he couldn’t enjoy it, not until he had truly earned it.

Surprisingly, the person who seemed to quiet his thoughts the most was Sakura. However, the more time he spent with her, the more warmth he felt, and with that warmth his guilt seemed to grow. If there was one person he truly did not deserve forgiveness from, it was Sakura. Lately, his nightmares seemed to focus on her and the terrible things he had done to her when he had fallen from the path. The conflict of wanting to spend time with her, but the remorse that followed was truly frustrating. In fact, after their spar and a couple other occasions with her, Sasuke felt himself consumed by the feeling. She was so damned kind and caring all the time, as though he had never done anything. As if, not just a few months prior, he had not trapped her in a hellish genjutsu that plagued her with nightmares for weeks after. Trapped in this internal struggled, Sasuke had unconsciously started to isolate himself from her. He slowly stopped walking her to the hospital and barely left his apartment, even for training sessions with Naruto. He simply absorbed himself in research about the council, Kaguya, and all the other shadows that lined the ninja world. 

He shouldn't have been surprised then when Sakura found him with an annoyed look on her face as he was researching in the archives of the Hokage Tower. It had been about two weeks into his isolation at that point and while there was a trace of hurt on her features, it was mostly frustration in her expression

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These next few chapters will be heavy building and exploring of Sasuke's character and conflicts. 
> 
> I think I got my characterization back on track and I rewrote chapter 4 for those interested. They're small changes but they made a huge difference. 
> 
> Still looking for someone to review and revise my work since I always overlook my own typos and such 

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Naruto
> 
> I hope to update this weekly on Sundays. 
> 
> Hope is the keyword. 
> 
> I'm also looking for a beta! :D
> 
> Review and tell me what you think!


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